Lesson 11. Theory. 18-05

UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA
FACULTAD DE LENGUAS
PRÁCTICA GRAMATICAL DEL INGLÉS
ADVERBS & ADVERBIALS
Prof. Titular: Fabián Negrelli

Prof. Asistente: Candelaria Luque Colombres
CICLO LECTIVO 2020

Lesson 11 (14/5/2020)
ADVERBS & ADVERBIALS
While the term adverb refers to a word class which words like slowly,
here, there, very, quite belong to, adverbials is a functional label,
covering all the syntactic units performing the same function as single -
word adverbials, that is, they are units which describe the action denoted
by the verb.
Adverbs are a class of words that can:
1) act as an adverbial: She´ll com e late today.

2) form the headword of an adverb phrase: luckily for us.
3) be used to modify an adjective in an adjective phrase: very late
4) be used to modify an adverb in an adverb phrase: rather difficult
5) be formed from many qualitative adjectives by the additi on of the
suffix –ly: slow – slowly; easy – easily; simple; simply
ADVERBS AS ADVERBIA LS
An adverbial can be:
(1) An adverb: A single word, su ch as well; happily; soon; certainly;

probably
(2) An adverb phrase: very happily; really well; quite soon
(3) A prepositional phrase: a grou p of words beginning with a preposition
such as on the table; in my opinion; with a hammer
(4) A noun phrase: last night; tomorrow morning, yesterday
1
Adverbials are classified into:
a) Circumstan tial adverbials (also called adjuncts)
They provide information about how, where, when, how often, why, how
much, to what an extent an action is done.
She sings sweetly.

She gets up at six o´clock every day .
She left home in a hurry.
He worked hard all day.
She came back home last night.
She didn´t go to school yester day because of the rain .
b) linking adverbials or conjuncts
They help to hold a text together or, linguistically speaking, “giving it

cohesion”. Linking adverbials help you connect ideas and sentences when you speak
or write English. We can use linking words to give examples, add information,
summarise, sequence information, give a reason or result, or to contrast ideas.
Examples of conjuncts are: moreover; nevertheless, therefore; to sum
up; etc.
The company are expanding. Therefore, they are taking on extra staff.
He works hard. However, he doesn’t earn much.
The company was doing badly; nevertheless, they took on extra employees.
Taxes have gone up, whereas social security contributions have gone down.
Marketing plans give us an idea of the potential market. Moreover, they tell us about
the competition.
c) Stance adverbials
They provide comments towards the content or style of what is said.
Logically, that one cannot be the solution to this problem.

2
Biologically, such phenomenon is not natural.
Scientifically, nobody has been able to demonstrate it yet.
Fortunately, nobody died in th e car accident.
Sadly, all the plants died.
Hopefully, I´ll find a holiday job and earn some money.
Actually, I don’t watch television.
Personally, I don´t think she will get her degree.
Stance adverbials can also convey the speaker/writer's assessment of the

proposition in the clause in relation to the probability or certainty of
it. These adverbials express how sure we are about something. Among
such adverbials we can mention: certainly – definitely – obviously –
probably - possibly. These adverbials normally go before a full verb, but
after be or an auxiliary verb.
He probably knows your telephone number.

He is probably at home now.
He obv iously did it on his own.
He definitely didn´t mention a date.
He can certainly come on 14 July.
Possibly, they misunderstood the instructions.
No doubt, this was the best composition in the class.
Surely, this is the best choic e.
In negative sentences, these adverbials normally go before the negative.

She probably won’t come today.
They obv iously didn’t feel very comfortable.
“Perhaps” and “maybe” (quite informal) normally go at the beginning of

a clause.
Perhaps, I’ll visit you tomorrow.
Maybe, you’re right.
3
Classification of circumstan tial adverbials
1. Manner: They express how an action is or was done.

The tired traveller slept soundly.
He did his work slowly but surely.
He is working hard this week.
She angrily shouted at him.
They greeted us warmly.
Tamara doesn´t sing like a professional .
2. Time: They express the time, the moment when an action is or was
done.
Day will break soon.

The children have studied English for several years .
The fire was extinguish ed afterwards.
She is travelling to France next month.
She had already gone when we got there.
3. Frequency: They answer the question “ how often”
I often saw him formerly, but he seldom comes now.

The child usually plays football with his friends.
He visits his parents twice a week.
She travels abroad from time to time.
4. Place: They express where an action is or was done.
They looked everywhere for the little girl but found her nowhere.
At home, he feels safe.
They must be travelling to Paris at this time .
4
5. Degree (intensifying and moderating adverbials )
Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity of an adjective, an action, or another

adverb.They express “ to what extent” or “to w hat degree ” an action is or
was done;
Intensifying adverbials:
She was severely punished.
The weather was extremely bad last weekend.
They are completely exhausted from the trip.
I´m absolutely certain that she will come.
Other intensifying adverbials are really, very, terribly, too, highly,

unusually, exceedingly, particularly .
He is walking too slowly.

The coffee is exceedingly hot.
She is really hard working.
She has been unusually punctual.
Moderating adverbials:
He arrived a bit late.
I slightly disagree with your conclusions.
He doesn´t work hard enough.
Other moderating adverbials are pretty, rather, quite, fairly,

practically, moderately.
I’m pretty sure we’ve met before. Were you at Clare Harding’s wedding?
She doesn´t quite know what she will do after university.
She practically didn´t notice what he was doing.
The film was rather disappointing.
5
6. Quantity: They express amount and number
I met him twice in London.

She has worked the most in the project.
He understood the least in the lecture.
I love her very much.
She told us very little about her new boyfriend.
7. Affirmation and negation

The words “yes”, “certainly”, “surely”, “evidently”, “naturally”, “obviously” and
“not”, “n´t”, “no”, “never”, etc. are adverbs of affirmation and negation. They may
replace a whole sentence with the exception of “not”.
A: Do you like fish?

B: Yes (I like fish)
Certainly / Surely / Obviously / Naturally / Absolutely / Of course
A: Did you tell him the truth?

B: No (I didn’t tell him the truth) / Never / Of course not / Naturally
not / Certainly not
Other examples of negative ad verbials:
I´m not going to the concert.
We don´t approve of corporal punishment.
He´ll never settle down.
There is hardly any food.
I can barely hear what you are saying.
Scarcely can I hear what you are saying.
I have seldom been so insulted.
A: We ca n´t go to the concert tonight.
B: Nor can we.
A: I don´t like pop music.

6
B: Neither do I.
A: Are you getting a cold?
B: I hope not.
A: I´ve lost my mobile phone.
B: Oh, not again!
8. Instrument: They answer the question “What ....... with?”
She cut herself with a knife.
She spoke from notes.

Victoria hit Ana with her bag.
9. Cause:
She died of cancer.
She spoke in that way out of desperation.
They couldn´t come due to the bad weather conditions .
10. Accompaniment:
She travels with her mother every year.

I work together with my father.
Senator Gray never travels without a secretarial staff .
11. Focusing:
They are called focusing adverbials because we can change their

position in a sentence depending on where we want to focus ou r
attention.
7
Only I listened to his lecture on Saturday.
I only listened to his lecture on Saturday.
I listened only to his lecture on Saturday.
I listened to his lecture only on Saturday.
Even the solicitor showed the farmer the paper he had to sign.
The solicitor even showed the farmer the paper he had to sign.
The solicitor showed even the farmer the paper he had to sign.
The solicitor showed the farmer even the paper he had to sign.
The solicitor showed the farmer the paper even he had to sign.
The solicitor showed the farmer the paper he had even to sign.
Other focusing adverbials are: “just” and “simply”.
ADVERBS AS MODIFIERS
We have seen that degree adverbs can function as intensifying or

moderating adverbials. These adverbs can also intensify or moderate the
force of an adjective or an adverb. In this case, they function as
modifiers. This is the case in phrases such as “almost impossible”, “hardly
noticeable”, “relatively small”, “rather dangerously”, “too fast”. They normally go
before the words they modify.
You did extremely well in the exam.
Passing that exam was particularly important for me.
She is really interested in our project.
Joe disappeared somewhat hurriedly.
My course is going reasonably well.
The performance was a bit disappointing.
His behaviour was a little inappropriate.
She is quite intelligent.

8
This dress is rather old.
You are not sufficiently careful.
Comparative forms of adverbs :
RULE FORMS
Positive Comparative Superlative
One-syllable adverbs:
hard harder the hardest
There are a few one-syllable
fast faster the fastest
adverbs whose comparative
soon sooner the soonest
and superlative forms are
formed by adding -er and -
est.
Other adverbs : quickly more quickly the most quickly
more and most are use d quietly more quietly the most quietly
to form comparative and smartly more smartly the most smartly
superlative forms of two beautifully more the most
or more syllable adverbs beautifully beautifully
Irregular forms:
There are a few adverbs
well better the best
whose comparative and
badly worse the worst
superlative forms are
completely different
words.
Martin runs as quickly as his classmates.

Martin runs more quickly than his classmates.
Martin doesn´t run as quickly as his classmates.
Martin runs the most quickly of his classmates.
I drive as dangerously as my father.

I drive more dangerously than my father.
I drive less dangerously than my father.
I drive the most dangerously of all the members of my family.

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UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE CÓRDOBA

PRÁCTICA GRAMATICAL DEL INGLÉS

ADVERBS & ADVERBIALS

Prof. Titular: Fabián Negrelli

CICLO LECTIVO 2020

ADVERBS & ADVERBIALS

Adverbs are a class of words that can:

1) act as an adverbial: She´ll com e late today.

An adverbial can be:

(1) An adverb: A single word, su ch as well; happily; soon; certainly;

a) Circumstan tial adverbials (also called adjuncts)

She sings sweetly.

b) linking adverbials or conjuncts

They help to hold a text together or, linguistically speaking, “giving it

They provide comments towards the content or style of what is said.

Logically, that one cannot be the solution to this problem.

Stance adverbials can also convey the speaker/writer's assessment of the

He probably knows your telephone number.

In negative sentences, these adverbials normally go before the negative.

“Perhaps” and “maybe” (quite informal) normally go at the beginning of

1. Manner: They express how an action is or was done.

Day will break soon.

3. Frequency: They answer the question “ how often”

I often saw him formerly, but he seldom comes now.

4. Place: They express where an action is or was done.

Adverbs of degree tell us about the intensity of an adjective, an action, or another

She was severely punished.

The weather was extremely bad last weekend.

They are completely exhausted from the trip.

I´m absolutely certain that she will come.

Other intensifying adverbials are really, very, terribly, too, highly,

He is walking too slowly.

Other moderating adverbials are pretty, rather, quite, fairly,

She doesn´t quite know what she will do after university.

She practically didn´t notice what he was doing.

The film was rather disappointing.

I met him twice in London.

7. Affirmation and negation

A: Do you like fish?

A: Did you tell him the truth?

Other examples of negative ad verbials:

I´m not going to the concert.

We don´t approve of corporal punishment.

He´ll never settle down.

There is hardly any food.

I can barely hear what you are saying.

Scarcely can I hear what you are saying.

I have seldom been so insulted.

A: We ca n´t go to the concert tonight.

B: Nor can we.

A: I don´t like pop music.

A: Are you getting a cold?

A: I´ve lost my mobile phone.

B: Oh, not again!

8. Instrument: They answer the question “What ....... with?”

She cut herself with a knife.

She spoke from notes.

She travels with her mother every year.

They are called focusing adverbials because we can change their